How much can I tow

[jonathan.plahn]

Greetings everyone?

I’m getting ready to go purchase my first RV but I’m struggling to determine my vehicle GCVWR - Gross Combined Vehicle Weight Rating (i.e This is the maximum allowable weight your truck & trailer can weigh combined) for my 2012 Chevy Avalanche 1500.


I did find a vehicle specs sheet on Cars.com that says this vehicle has an GCWR of 11,000 lbs.



After extensive research, a phone call to Chevy, and a visit to the dealership to only find this one answer regarding GCVWR. Was really surprised when Chevy said they could not answer this question.



I have determined the following:



Curb Weight – 5,969 lbs

GVWR – 7,200 lbs

Payload – 1,263 lbs

Towing Capacity – 7,900 lbs



Chevrolet does not have an official fleet towing guide for the 2012 Avalanche 1500.

Also the sticker in the door lists GAWR but not the Axle Code. I did confirm with the dealership it has a Ratio of 3.42.

GAWR Front – 3800 lbs

GAWR Rear – 4100 lbs



I do have a Hitch Ratings sticker on my Hitch Bar (I still need to purchase a Ball) with the following details:

Maximum Trailer Weight

-Weight Carrying 5,000 lbs

-Weight Distributing 12,000 lbs



Maximum Tounge Weight

-Weight Carrying 600 lbs

-Weight Distributing 1,500 lbs



Can anyone help me with determining this? Also should I invest in Weight Distribution Tow Ball system to increase my RV options?

 

[redheadedrod]

Why would you care? It doesn't affect anything that I know of. Probably why no one is giving you an answer. Police aren't going to care. From your numbers you can haul roughly 1200 lbs in the truck. Not sure if that includes passengers. And you can pull 7,900 lbs. But looks like you need a WDH in order to get there. Is this 7,900 what YOUR truck can do as in you have that from the rating for YOUR truck? They are different depending on what packages they came with. My truck is an '03 with 5.3 and it is rated for 7,000lbs. When I get ready to pull a trailer I know I need one less than 7000 lbs. And likely have a weight distribution hitch. I am doing some upgrades that would allow me to actually pull more but since the rating would need to be changed by a place certified to do so that isn't going to happen. But if I need to pull more than 7,000 lbs I will likely go to a 1 ton pickup with a 5th wheel. Not all trucks of the same model year have the same weight ratings as some have tow package and others don't. Some 2007+ trucks are only rated for like 4500 lbs which is kinda crazy. But those ones were likely more setup for gas mileage.

Otherwise it should be the GVWR and the Tow Rating together would be my guess since it is rated to weigh that much and to pull that much at the same time. If you really need it for something but I can't imagine what that would be. (So yours would be just over 15,000 lbs.) If something needs to know that number then they should be able to tell you how to find it otherwise. Insurance? Licencing? Some dumbass at the trailer place that doesn't know what they are talking about?

 

[Randy]

Load includes people and anything you put in the bed would be you GVW. So if your AV weighs 6000 lbs fueled plus 5 people (avg 150 lbs) 750 plus 500 lbs luggage and gear your GVW is 7250 lbs. Now add a 5000 lb trailer and your GCVW is 12,250 lbs.. Higher rated hitches can be added, It does not matter what it says on your hitch, that is only the capacity of the hitch not the tow vehicle.

If your AV has a towing capacity of 7900 lbs, then the above example you would be at 15,150 lbs GVWC.

This is how I understand it..

Here's a site to help calculate your towing capacity.. One is Australia but still relevant..
Towing Weights Calculator - L2SFBC

How to Measure Towing Capacity, GVWR, GCWR - Towing 101 (curtmfg.com)

From what I've heard the 1500 AV can tow a 5000 pound trailer with out much problem. Go beyond that and it has to work pretty hard if you hit any hills. A trans cooler is a must if you don't already have one. Also make sure the ball and mount are rated for the load, I've seen 3000 lb rated ball mounts pulling a 7000 lb trailer.. Some have added Superchargers to help with the added load..

 

[redheadedrod]

I will be adding a better hitch on my truck and upgrading the power and power train. I can attest to the 5,000 lbs being about the limit of a stock 5.3 truck with 3.73 gearing. I have pulled more but you can almost hear the truck crying. With 7000 lbs my truck pulls about like a 5.7 hemi with 5,000 lbs. (We have trucks with the 5.7 hemi's and those are not much stronger than the fords we have. Neither seem to be as strong as our old early 2000 GM 3/4 trucks with a 5.3 in them were.

 

[locaman]

I've got a '12 LT with a 3.08 gear ratio and am looking to buy an RV but the unloaded vehicle weight is just shy of 5000 lbs. I'm wondering if I will be ok pulling it. The tow rating is 5K w/o the cooler package which of course, I don't have. I love this truck and hate the thought of having to buy a goat or a ford just to pull a new trailer.

 

[Randy]

With 3.08's your pretty much limited to factory rating of around 5000 lbs. It's not that it can't pull it off the line, the 6L80 has a 4.03 first gear to get the 6000 plus pound trucks and SUV's off the line. Its that in GM's quest to meet government fuel mileage numbers the 6 speed trans has 2 overdrive gears and a low numerical rear gear (higher ratio gear) 3.08. Previous trans (4L60) they never got below a 3.42 in the rear but you could get 3.73's or 4.10's and have a towing capacity over 7000 lbs..

If your going to tow on a regular basis a trans cooler is a must add... And possibly a gear change..

6L80 Gears...
1st -- 2nd -- 3rd -- 4th -- OD -OD ----- Available rear gears
4.03 - 2.36 - 1.53 - 1.15 - .85 - .67 --- 3.08 - 3.42

4L60 Gears...
--1st --- 2nd -- 3rd -- OD --- Available rear gears
3.059 - 1.625 - 1.00 - 0.696 ----- 3.42 - 3.73 - 4.10